Miuro (ZMP’s autonomous music player) is now being positioned as a service robot in a variety of areas. The robot could be used to monitor an elderly person using its camera, for example. The company plans to rent the robot for 880 JPY ($10 USD) a month. Last December, ZMP worked with Tokyo Metropolitan University to create a “Music Recommendation Service”. Users could direct the robot using a laser pointer and tag their favorite songs for different hours of the day and areas around the home, which the robot could then play at the appropriate time and place.

ZMP is considering the addition of a SIM card slot and touch screen, which would allow users to select “music”, “phone”, or “emergency” depending on their needs. The robot could also automatically dial relatives and the security company if abnormal conditions were detected. Since the robot’s primary function is playing music (including radio), it would naturally improve anyone’s quality of life.

One wonders how ZMP plans to recoup the robot’s cost with a $10 monthly fee, considering the robot is priced at around $1200 USD. Sounds like a pretty good deal, if the system works.